Bleach: A Tale Of Ice Cream And Hollows
by A.M.Maddox
Summary: Amber and Alicia are two transfer students from America with Soul Reaper powers of their own. All seems to be normal, but when a strange Hollow with unusual powers comes to Karakura Town, will they, along with Ichigo and the gang, be able to stop the threat that has risen its ugly head? * A special thanks to my good friend, Amber Cole for helping me write this.
1. Chapter 1

Bleach: A Tale Of Ice Cream And Hollows  
BY  
Alicia Maddox and Amber Cole

The breeze streamed through the trees and lifted the petals of the flowers in a spritely dance. Cherry blossoms filled the area with a sweet scent and fell to the ground like pink snow. Alicia and Amber were out for a shopping trip in Karakura Town with the Soul Reaper, Ichigo, in tow. Alicia and Amber were both exchange students from the USA, but they had another secret. The only other people who knew about it were the Soul Society and Ichigo-and his two younger sisters. They were both Soul Reapers and the high spiritual activity happening in Karakura Town forced them to come here. Old Man Yama (head captain of the Soul Society) said they needed to gain strength.  
Alicia had known what her Bankai was for a while, but Amber had just learned hers and was still struggling with the pronunciation and remembering it's name.  
"We should totally play a prank, or do something to Ichi!" Amber smirked at Alicia. Ichigo glared over at the two scheming girls with boredom. The Soul Society told him to keep an eye on the two girls that were going to be staying in an apartment down the street. Needless to say, he was still a little frustrated about it; especially when Alicia and Amber spoke English to each other.  
"Like what? We totally should!" Alicia laughed at the idea of it.  
"He's forced to watch us anyways, so it will make it all the more fun!" Alicia and Amber giggled.  
"Okay….we should challenge him to a dual. Him against the two of us, and we can provoke him and that ego of his. It will be easy! Anndd," Amber waved her finger in the air, " if we win he has to take both of us out somewhere!"  
"Let's do it! He's going to freak when he sees my Bankai….if he even sees it that is." Alicia grinned and turned around towards Ichi. Ichigo stopped and looked up.  
"Now what do you want?" He sighed. The two schemers smiled at each other.  
"We want to make a bet with you Kurosaki-sempai." Said Alicia. Ichi raised an eyebrow.  
"Oh really? And just what kind of a bet would that be?"  
"A dual. Me and Amber against you. And only you." Ichigo started.  
"What?! What kind of a bet is that! That's not even fair. Two against one? Do you even know what your strategy will be?" Ichigo shook his head and crossed his arms, marveling at the stupidity of these two Americans.  
"And besides, There's no way I'm fighting two inexperienced young ladies. What kind of a guy do you think I am?" He closed his eyes and turned away, preparing to continue walking. The two schemers snickered at him.  
"We expected you to say that Sempai." Said Amber. "Or should I say….chicken?" Ichigo spun around.  
"What!? Chicken? Why are you calling me that for?" Alicia walked up beside Amber.  
"Aw come on Amber. Let's face it. Kurosaki-chicken is just afraid he'll get his ass kicked by a couple of "inexperienced" foreign girls. It's not worth it." Alicia winked. Ichigo, by this time, was getting indigent.  
"Now hold on! I'm not afraid of you two. You think you can kick my ass? Well I'll kick yours so hard you won't be able to sit for a week!" At this, the two Americans laughed.  
"I wonder what your Bankai looks like." Alicia rubbed her chin. Amber smirked.  
"Probably not much. I wouldn't expect a lot from a substitute." Now Ichigo was getting mad. He stormed up to them and bent down to eye level, right in their faces.  
"Hey! I'll have you know, my Bankai is huge! It could wipe out half this town if I wanted to." Unfazed, Amber went on.  
"Are you sure you want to stand by that statement. After all, you know what they about Soul Reapers and big Bankais." That did it. Ichigo turned bright red and stepped back from the two. He raised a quivering finger in front of them.  
"Alright you two brats!" He said through clenched teeth. "If you really want a dual, then you're gonna get one. Now name your terms."  
"The terms are-" said Alicia stepping up to them, "If you win, then you can brag to all your friends that you took on two highly skilled foreigners and beat them all over Karakura Town with one arm tied behind your back. But if we win, then you have to take the both of us out on a date. And we decide where to go. Deal?" Ichigo looked shocked.  
"A…a d-date? With you two?"  
"CHICKEN!" Alicia and Amber shouted together. Ichigo raised his hands to quite them.  
"Alright, ok! It's a deal." The two girls high fived each other.  
"YES!"  
Alicia and Amber pulled out two small objects that looked like Pez dispensers.  
"Over the teeth, and through the gums, look out Chappy, here it comes." Said Alicia and popped a small green pill into her mouth. Amber did the same. And just like that, they left their bodies and were to be found in the spirit realm in their Soul Reaper form. Ichi took from his pocket the substitute badge that was given him and held it up to his chest. His soul left his body and he joined Amber and Alicia in the spirit realm.  
"Ok, so who want's to go first." Said Ichi.  
"I will" Alicia stepped forward.  
"alright then. Prepare to get your ass kicked." Ichi took to the sky. Alicia followed after him. Amber stayed safely on the ground, knowing what was about to happen. Alicia gathered speed and overtook Ichi. They came to a stop high over the town. The sky was clear and blue. The sun was low in the sky, but it hadn't begun to set yet.  
Alicia turned in the air to face him.  
"Now prepare Ichigo! You've seen nothing like this before." Ichi smirked.  
"Yeah right. Show me what you got." Alicia reached to her right and slowly pulled out her Zanpakuto. It was a standard weapon, but the sheath was a deep green and the hilt's wrappings were green also. The pommel of the sword was in the likeness of a golden dragon. She held the Zanpakuto sideways, with the blade facing her opponent. Alicia then slowly moved her sword evenly across her from right to left, keeping a steady speed.  
"Raise your head over the horizon. Now Roar, RYU CHIKARA!" At once, the edges of the sword burst into bright green flames.  
"Ugh…." Ichigo shielded his eyes from the brightness. The flames grew bigger and longer. They quickly began to take shape in front of him. Down below, Amber observed the light show, grinning to herself. Up above, the flames began to solidify into a recognizable form. Ichigo gasped at what he saw. A huge, bright green dragon was floating before him. It had no wings, as was typical for a Japanese dragon. It's main body was a bright, acid green and the under belly was of a lighter shade, with a tinge of yellow. It had spikes starting from the back of it's head, down it's back, and to the tip of it's tail, ending it a sharp, lethal barb. It's head was covered in a thick, dark green mane of feathers, and it's large round eyes were golden. Ichigo watched in awe as the dragon coiled it's long snake-like body around Alicia. It raised it's head high over hers. Ichi snapped out of it.  
"BANK-" he began to shout, but the dragon had already opened it's mouth as if it were roaring. But no sound came from it. Instead, what Ichigo saw was what looked like heat waves coming from it's mouth and heading straight for him. Ichigo didn't have time to react. He was hit with the first wave.  
"Ugh! What is this….?" He clutched his head. Another wave hit him.  
"I…..I can't see….." Then Ichigo lost all consciousness upon the third wave and plummeted to the earth below.  
"Well that didn't take long." Amber said to herself. The dragon disappeared and Alicia sheathed her sword. She then followed Ichi back down. Ichigo hit the asphalt with a tremendous crash, leaving a shallow crater in the road. Alicia landed beside him. Amber walked over to Ichi and poked him in the head.  
"What did you do to him?" Alicia looked at the knocked out teen.  
"My Bankai has the ability to produce subsonic waves that momentarily disrupt the electrical brain waves in it's target. Thus, causing my opponent to blackout for a few minutes. He'll wake up soon enough. At that moment, the slumbering substitute began to stir. He groaned, and opened one eye.  
"What…..what the hell was that?" He grunted, as he sat up, rubbing his head. Alicia and Amber explained it to him. Ichi stood up and brushed himself off. He then turned to Alicia, a sheepish grin on his face.  
"Well, I must admit. I'm impressed. I've never heard of a Bankai that could do that sort of thing. Very well, you guys win." Alicia and Amber both cheered.  
"So were would you like to go?" He said. Alicia and Amber looked at each other. They smiled. Amber grabbed Ichi's left arm, and Alicia grabbed his right. They began to walk down the street.  
"Uh, guys?" Said Ichigo.  
"Guys…where are we going?...Guys? Hey! 


	2. Chapter 2

Episode 2

The girls hurriedly pulled him over to a park where a small ice cream stand had been set up.  
"We want one of those." Amber said, pointing, "And pronto!" Ichigo glared.  
"All you want is ice cream? Why didn't you say so in the first place." He started to walk over to the cart.  
"That's not all, we want the big sundaes!" Alicia shouted after him. Ichi hunched his shoulders even more. He couldn't wait for these two to go home. Why did they have to be such a pain in the ass? Weren't they supposed to be helping the Hollow problem? All they were doing, was being a nuisance and causing trouble. Ichigo waited in line behind a mother and her screaming child. This was going to be a long school year. Ichigo glanced back at the two giggling girls, who kept looking up at him every so often, phones in hand. What were they up to now?  
"Excuse sir, what would you like?" A smiling woman in the ice cream cart asked. Ichi looked at the flavor board. What would be cheap, but big enough to be considered a sundae? He knew Amber liked anything with chocolate, or strawberry. She wouldn't shut up about his name for a week after she arrived here. He also knew that Alicia liked mint-chocolate chip and coffee flavors. He didn't see any prices on the ice cream, so it couldn't be too bad.  
"I'll take two sundaes. One with strawberry and chocolate, and the other with coffee and mint-chocolate chip." He began to get out his wallet. His sister, Yuzu, was going to be all over him about how he didn't get her any ice cream, he thought to himself. Ichi smirked.  
"Great! I'll go make that for you." Said the woman. "It will be 2,500 yen." She gave a smile, and a small giggle.  
"WHAT!" Ichigo stared at the lady. "2,500 yen! That's insane! What is it? Magic or something?!" Ichigo dug around in his wallet looking for some more yen. Amber and Alicia walked up with an amused expression their faces.  
"Here, I'll buy my treat." Alicia smacked down some money on the counter and winked at Amber. Ichi stared at them both, then clenched his teeth.  
"You can pay us back later Ichi." Alicia said, licking her ice cream. Ichigo glared at the ground.  
"Yeah, what kind of a guy makes the girl pay for the date." Amber sighed. "You really are a hopeless case Ichi."  
"Hey! I don't have to pay you back for anything. And we're not on a date!" Ichigo shouted after them as they walked back down the street. Ichi noticed that people were starting to snigger. He ran off after them. "You have your damn ice cream now, so why can't we just be over with this and go back home? I'm tired of having to babysit you guys. And besides, you two are old enough to take care of yourselves!" Ichigo ranted. Amber stopped and spun around.  
"Well like it or not, you lost a bet because you were too weak so now you have to go where we want to until the debt has been repaid!" Amber retorted. Ichigo and Amber stared each other down for a moment before Ichi sighed and turned away.  
"Fine. What are you two wanting to do now?" He said, with annoyance and boredom in his voice. He ran a hand through his messy orange-red hair. Alicia and Amber chatted quietly for a while. Then Amber turned to Ichigo.  
"The sun is about to set. We should all go to the park and watch it! RACE YA!" Amber gave a thumbs up before flash stepping toward the playground. Alicia turned back toward Ichigo with a smile.  
"C'me on! We can't let her win can we?" Alicia grabbed Ichi's hand and pulled him after her.  
"Finally! Something I'm good at." Ichi laughed as he ran alongside her. By this time, Amber had already gotten way ahead of them. She was no longer in their sights.  
"I think she might beat us!" Alicia huffed, as she and Ichi sped toward the local park. But just then, they stopped dead in their tracks. A sudden, powerful wave of spirit pressure hit the two like a brick wall. It oppressive, and full of malice. Almost at the same time, a loud piercing scream shattered the twilight. Alicia stared at Ichigo with a horrified look on her face.  
"Do you think?" Ichigo nodded in response to Alicia's question.  
"Then let's go!" Ichigo and Alicia took off once more, now going faster than before, as more screams echoed through the streets.  
After what seemed like an eternity, they came at last to Karakura's playground. It was a wide area, with a small field at one end and trees bordering the playground. On the other end was the play area, with monkey bars, a swing set, a jungle gym, and tires. When Ichi, and Alicia arrived there, their eyes quickly turned to the field not far off. What they saw shocked them. A Hollow nearly as big as the field it was in stood before them. It had a body like a gorilla's and a tale like a possum. It's thick, stumpy legs ended in camel-like hooves, and its skeletal head looked like an ape's with thick ram horns curling on either side of its head. From the deeps of its empty sockets stared two sinister points of light. Its muscular arms reached to the ground, and its hands were nothing more than three thick, sharp claws. It was covered from neck to tale in grayish-green scales. There was a huge gaping hole in the middle of its belly, and in one of its clawed hands, was Amber. It was squeezing her tightly.  
"AMBER!" Alicia screamed, dropping her ice cream.  
"Oh no!" Ichigo shouted in horror. Amber looked beaten. Blood was pooling underneath where the Hollow held her, mixing with the sundae she dropped trying to defend herself.  
"Amber, use your Bankai!" Alicia shouted to her, as she herself pulled out her Zanpakuto. Amber struggled as more blood trickled to the ground.  
"I…..I can't remember how to pronounce it! And I feel so weak…..I don't know why….." Amber grunted.  
"NOOOOO!" Alicia screamed again, and charged toward the Hollow. Ichigo drew his sword and flash stepped in front of Alicia.  
"Wait! This Hollow is too big for you to take on alone. And it seems like it can drain a person's spirit energy. Can you feel it?" He looked at the Hollow. Alicia checked herself.  
"Yeah, you're right. I can feel a decrease in my strength. But what about Amber? We can't leave her!" Alicia looked helplessly at Amber. Amber clenched her fist and weakly swung at the Hollow's face. It hit with a weak thump. The Hollow laughed.  
"Come at me fools! Let me show you my true power!" It roared in a deep gravelly voice. Alicia gritted her teeth.  
"Ichigo, how do we beat this thing? I've never fought one this big, or powerful before." Alicia glanced between Ichi and the Hollow. Ichigo smirked, with a confident look on his face.  
"Who needs a plan; All we gotta do is win right?" Ichigo turned to look at Alicia.  
"Back me up with some Kido, and since I have more experience, I'll do the close combat." Alicia nodded and readied herself. All these long hours of learning Kido would finally pay off.  
"Hang on! I'm coming to get you!" He swung his sword. "BANKAI!" he roared. Amber, still struggling, but just as determined as ever, glared down at him, trying to get an arm free from the Hollow's grip.  
"I don't need your help, bastard. I can do it. I know I can! Just let me try…Stars rain like the falling snow…ummmm…..ack!" The Hollow laughed at her attempt.  
"Pathetic Shinigami can't even remember her own sword's name!"  
"Hey bastard! Look at your attacker!" Ichigo spat and charged toward the Hollow while Alicia bombarded it with Kido.  
"Hado 31. Shakkaho!" Alicia yelled, holding her left arm up and palm facing toward the Hollow's face. A ball of red light shot from her hand. It hit it square in the eyes. The Hollow wailed and dropped Amber to the ground. It now turned all of its attention to the two attackers.  
"You punks!" The monster yelled. Ichigo launched himself from the ground with his sword held over his head.  
"YEEEAAAAHHHHH!" He screamed and brought his sword swiftly down toward the Hollow's face, but the brute blocked it, forcing Ichigo to retreat into the air just above it. Alicia ran closer to the monster.  
"Shakkaho!" She yelled again and fired a red ball of flame at its chest this time. It struck home, sending the Hollow backward and leaving its softer underside exposed. Ichigo did not hesitate; he zoomed back down, and, knowing the beast's hide would still be tough, shouted, "GETSUGA TENSHO!" A bright blue-white wave of energy was flung from his blade and cut through the Hollow. Mortally wounded, it clutched its belly in pain. Ichigo came down hard on the monster with his blade. He sliced through its scull and down its full length. The Hollow gave a great roar, and disintegrated. I higo landed on the ground and sheathed his sword. Amber started to sit up as Alicia ran to her.  
"Are….are you ok? Are you hurt?" Alicia helped Amber up and dusted her off. Amber winced and clutched her ribs, her robes were stained with blood.  
"I…I think it broke a few of my ribs…." Amber managed to say. Alicia put Amber's arm over her shoulders.  
"Let's get you home and I'll heal you." She looked at Ichi. He was examining the place where the Hollow had been. His eyes were focused on the ground and his forehead was furrowed.  
"Ichigo, let's go home." Alicia called. Ichi looked up.  
"Right." He said. Walked back to the others and helped Alicia with Amber.  
"Are you ok, Amber?" He said quietly.  
"I'll be ok once we get home." She reassured him. Ichigo still looked troubled. Alicia glanced at him.  
"I know what you're thinking. There was something not right about that Hollow. It was too big, and its spiritual pressure felt off somehow. "Ichigo looked back at the playground.  
"I just hope there aren't any more of those in town…." They walked back to Alicia's apartment, which was not far from Ichigo's own home. When got in, Alicia took Amber to the couch and healed her.  
"Well, that was eventful." Alicia smiled after she was done. Amber didn't say anything. She just stared at her hands.  
"Ah, don't beat yourself up about it, Amber. Learning the ins and outs of your Zanpakuto take time. You'll get the hang of it eventually." Ichigo smiled at her and winked. Amber smiled at him a little. Ichigo stretched and turned to look out a window.  
"In the meantime, we need to think about food. I'm hungry."  
"Well, we could have sushi for a change." Alicia stood up. "The only problem is, I don't know how to fix it. But Amber here does. She's a pro!" Amber blushed a little.  
"Oh I'm not THAT good. But we'll have to go to my apartment, if we all want sushi."  
"Then let's go!" Ichigo opened the door and lead the two girls out. Just as they were walking across the street, Alicia piped up.  
"By the way, you still owe us Ichi" Ichigo stopped in the middle of the street.  
"What do you mean I still owe you? You got your ice cream didn't you?" Amber smiled.  
"Well, not really. We never really got a chance to eat it because of that Hollow. So you still owe us a date." She winked at him, Alicia giggled. Ichigo, on the other hand, was in hysterics.  
"Now wait just a damn minute! I just saved your asses, doesn't count for SOMETHING! Hey! Come back here, I'm not done yet!" Ichigo chased the now laughing girls across the street and into the next apartment complex, while two dark figures watched from a window above.


	3. Chapter 3

.

Episode 3

Ichigo stopped suddenly and looked around. He had sensed other spiritual presser close by, but then it had vanished as soon as Ichi took notice of it. He shook his head. It was probably another Soul Reaper passing close by. He resumed following the girls to the apartments. They, of course, had out run Ichigo by this time and were now inside.  
"Hey, wait up!" He called, but he knew it was pointless, though, he did hear faint giggling and a door slam shut somewhere above him. Ichi smiled to himself. Amber and Alicia were a pain, but a good one. Though he would never admit it out loud, the two Yankees were starting to grow on him a bit. Ichi climbed the steps of the apartment slowly, trying to remember which one was Amber's. He finally came to what he thought was the right door and knocked.  
"Hello? It's me….." The door was unlocked, so Ichi let himself in. He stepped into a short hallway with a flight of steps directly to the right. To the left was a doorway leading into the living room. Alicia was seated on a low couch in front of a TV. An anime show was on. Ichi quickly caught a flash of roses and a lot of pink as a group of boys dressed in light blue danced across the screen. Amber poked her head out of the kitchen with a knife in her hand. It was then that the smell of cooking food hit Ichigo in the face. He breathed in slowly, then exhaled. Now he was hungry.  
"So _now_ you decide to use your manners!" Amber laughed and pointed at him with her knife. Ichi tensed a little.  
"We knew it was you at the door. And if it wasn't, Alicia could have totally kicked your butt!" Alicia laughed and looked around at him.  
"Just like how I handed your ass to you in that duel." Alicia and Amber high-fived. Ichigo rolled his eyes and plopped down next to Alicia on the couch.  
"So what kind of sushi are we having?" He asked as Amber brought out a tea tray for him and Alicia. He took a sip from his cup.  
"I was thinking about a salmon roll, or maybe spicy tuna! Those are really good and I can make some edamame to go with it." Amber started rambling off more choices to him and Alicia as she walked back into the kitchen.  
"Yeah, that sounds good!" Alicia called after her friend. Things turned quiet, as Alicia and Ichigo became absorbed in the anime show; the sounds of food being prepared provided background noise. Just then, a new noise made itself known. Outside the apartment door, the soft, but distinct sound of footsteps were heard. Ichigo paid in no mind as he thought it was just other apartment inhabitants walking down the stairs outside. But then, he felt that same spiritual pressure again. Stronger this time. Ichigo quickly stood up; Alicia looked around at the door and Amber walked out of the kitchen.  
Do you guys…feel that?" Alicia asked. Just then, the door burst open in a plume of purple smoke. Alicia and Amber rushed toward the smoke with a battle scream.  
"Guys, wait!" Ichigo tried to stop them, but couldn't move quickly enough. Ready for action, the two girls started swinging, or throwing whatever they had in hand. A tight grip took hold of their arms, but it wasn't a monster; the dying smoke revealed a tall man in a dark green tunic and a low brimmed, green and white stripped hat that shadowed most of the features of his face, standing before them. He had the girls by their wrists in each hand and a lazy, devilish smirk was on his face.  
"Well, nice to meet you two at last. I've heard some promising things from the Soul Society about you." His voice came in a relaxed, laid back drawl.  
"And judging by your fears response to my presence, I'd say I won't be disappointed." He looked up at Ichigo;  
"I take it you haven't told them about me yet, Ichigo. I'm disappointed in you." He released them. Alicia and Amber rubbed their wrists.  
"You look a lot like those surfer guys from where I live. And what the hell are you doing in my house? Haven't you heard of privacy?" Amber interjected. The strange man stared down at her and casually raised his hands in mock surrender.  
"Hey, I came here because I heard someone say there was going to be sushi and Yoruichi….." He motioned down and Amber and Alicia saw at his heels, a cat as black as the night outside. Its big golden eyes peered up at them.  
"And I have some news I think concerns you all. From what I understand, you were attacked correct? He looked at Amber. Alicia cleared her throat and spoke up.  
"Exactly who are you anyway?"  
"Oh! My apologies. The name is Kisuke. Kisuke Urahara." Kisuke gave a formal bow.  
"Now that the formalities are out of the way, shall we discuss the issue at hand over some sushi." An unfamiliar voice spoke. Alicia and Amber looked around, but no one else was in the room with them.  
"Down here." Came the voice again, this time a little annoyed. They looked down. The cat looked back at them. It blinked. Sudden realization dawned on the two girls. Alicia gasped, Amber shrieked and jumped back behind Ichigo, clutching his shoulders.  
"IT….IT TALKED! THAT CAT TALKED!" The cat sniffed.  
"You humans are all the same. I always get the same response." Yoruichi's tail twitched. Ichigo sighed and pried Amber's hands off his shoulder. Alicia, who was momentarily stunned by this new revelation, finally regained her powers of speech. She squealed and ran over to the cat.  
"My dreams have finally come true!" She picked up the cat and spun around, holding it close to her face. The cat gave an angry yowl, unsheathed it's claws, and pricked Alicia on the nose.  
"Owww!" she dropped the indignant beast. Yoruichi sniffed and glared at her.  
"I am not just some common house cat. I am a human being too." The feline bounded over to the couch and in a bright flash of light, transformed. There, in the middle of the room, stood a beautiful woman. She was lithely built, but muscular, like her cat form. Her skin was dark, and her short hair was a deep purple. Her large eyes kept their golden hue, and….she was stark naked. Alicia and Amber shrieked. Ichigo quickly turned away, his face turning a bright red.  
"Damn it, put some clothes on!" Kisuke smirked. He reached into his robes and pulled out a small white fan. With a quick turn of his wrist the fan opened. He hid his smile behind it. Out of everyone in the room, Kisuke seemed creepily nonchalant about the fact that a naked young woman just materialized out of thin air. Yoruichi turned to Ichigo. She smirked.  
"Aw, you know you like it." She winked, and Alicia and Amber started to laugh. Ichi's face got redder.  
"It's not funny!" He said through gritted teeth. Amber snickered, and grabbed a robe from a hanger next to the door. She threw it to Yoruichi.  
"Thank you" She said and put it on.  
"It's safe to look now." Alicia laughed and sat back down on the couch. Yoruichi sat next to her. Amber went back in the kitchen to finish the food while Ichigo and Kisuke took their seats at some bean bag chairs on the floor. Anticipation written all over her face, Alicia leaned toward Kisuke.  
"So tell us, do you know anything about that strange Hollow we fought." Amber appeared with more tea and the sushi.  
"Dig in!" Amber plopped down on the floor next to Alicia. Kisuke folded and unfolded his hands before that lazy smile of his appeared on his face.


	4. Chapter 4

Bleach Chapter 4

"So I'm sure you all know by now what this hollow can do." Kisuke sipped his tea slowly, drawing out the tension.  
Everyone looked at him. Ichi crossed his arms.  
"No. Fact is, we don't know what the hell that thing was. All we know is that its spirit energy is unusually strong for a Hollow. But there was definitely something off about it as well."  
Yoruichi squinted and Urahara smirked. "So Amber, did you feel anything different between the times of when the hollow had you and when he let you go?"  
Amber stuffed a piece of sushi in her mouth. She thought for a moment, and then swallowed.  
"Well, yeah. Kinda. When the Hollow had me, I felt really weak. Like I was being drained of all my energy. And..." She paused. "I felt like I was being looked at...inside. Like the Hollow was looking at my memories, and testing my weaknesses, and strengths. And my Zanpakuto...I couldn't get in contact with it. It was like I was being blocked from calling it up." Amber shrugged, tossing her hair back and looking up at them. "But it's no big deal. I can feel my Zanpakuto now, so I'm okay. My mind just feels a little fuzzy."  
Alicia looked out of the window in thought. Ichigo poked at his sushi, while Urahara scratched his chin with his fan. Yoruichi stood up and stretched. She walked to the door, and in a puff of smoke, turned back into a cat and sauntered off.  
"I have important research to look into. I shall be back shortly." She gave a last glance at the group gathered in the room. "Kisuke, will you keep an eye on them for me. There might be a possibility that more Hollows like that one are on the loose. And everyone, do your best to hide your spiritual pressure from the outside world."  
Kisuke fluttered his fan, glancing at her from over its edge.  
"I'll do my best." Yoruichi left the apartment.  
Alicia turned to Ichigo. He looked troubled.  
"I've heard that there was a rebellion of the Zanpakuto in the Soul Society some time ago. You don't think there might be another one do you?" Alicia asked; Ichigo just closed his eyes and shook his head.  
"It's hard to say. It's not really acting like it did before though." He kept staring at the table. Alicia looked to Kisuke.  
"Well is there? Is there something we should know about? What's happening in the spirit realm right now? I need to know!" Alicia glared at him threateningly. She was sitting on the edge of the couch, gripping the arm rest tightly. Kisuke stopped fanning himself and closed the fan, laying it in his lap. His brows furrowed together and he frowned.  
"Hide your spiritual pressure, and you two only go into spirit form when it's an absolute emergency." he got up. "Thank you for the meal. And Ichigo, can I see you outside?"  
"Yeah, sure." Ichigo followed Kisuke out onto the steps. He closed the front door behind them. Kisuke opened his fan again and raised it to his mouth.  
"Lately, we've been seeing an upswing in Hollow activity in the Soul Society. But these Hollows aren't like the rest. Their behavior is very similar to what you guys saw this afternoon. And, we've seen the results. It appears that these Hollows have a special way of reincarnating themselves. When they find a soul reaper with enough spiritual energy, they grab ahold of him and drain him of almost all his energy. Research has shown that that Hollow can store it in a certain part of its body; condensing it and shaping it into a fixed point. Then, that Hollow will go after it's victim's Zanpakuto. It will analyze it's victim's memories of every instance that the soul reaper ever used his sword. Finding out its summoned call, name, type, and strengths and weaknesses. Then, the Hollow will turn its attention to the sword itself. It seems that the Hollow can make an imprint, a template of the Zanakuto's spirit. It then transfers that template to the spirit energy stored in side of it. It then transfers its own soul into that template. It appears that these Hollows are using these things to preserve themselves in the event that they die." Urahara folded his fan and held in front of his face. Ichigo started.  
"Wait! So you mean that they leave a part of their spirit in..." Kisuke nodded.  
"Make sure it doesn't happen._ She_ isn't trained enough or disciplined enough." He added.  
"But then what the hell do I tell everyone else?" Ichigo gripped the railing, his face contorted with worry. Kisuke stared up at the sky and sighed.  
"Tell them nothing, and make sure no one finds out. That's all we can do."  
Birds tweeted in the distance as they all flew towards their homes. It seemed like such a serene picture. But with the information produced about the new hollows, the peace seemed to almost be macabre.  
"So...when you kill one of these Hollows, is there a chance that they can come back using an imprint they made?" There was concern in Ichigo's eyes. Kisuke cleared his throat.  
"That's just a theory. So far, four of these things have been killed, but no one has seen anything odd yet."  
"Has anyone else been imprinted upon yet? If that hollow we fought decided to come back, would it alter the physical appearance or take over Amber's soul?"  
Urahara shook his head. "Like I said, there aren't any results back. Just whatever you do, try not to make it seem obvious something is wrong. And don't let either of them fight these things. They aren't ready." He rolled his shoulders back and yawned. "In the meantime, I'll be asking some captains and vice captains to come and help you out."  
"What? Why do we need those? There was only one today, and nothing is happening now. And besides," Ichi crossed his arms. "I've got enough on my plate having to deal with those two Yanks"  
The last time the other Soul Reapers came to help, it created a huge mess. They had no idea how to act without drawing attention to themselves. Kisuke chuckled.  
"It's just a precaution. And look on the bright side; at least they are pleasing to look at." he laughed. Ichigo's face turned red. Kisuke only laughed harder!  
"Anyways, the help will be here tomorrow. Goodnight." With that final word, Kisuke pulled his low brimmed hat over his eyes and walked down the stairs back to his shop. Ichigo sighed, wayching him go. The sunset turned a deep burnt orange, casting an orange tint over the world, while the sky shone starkly black against the sky. Amber poked her head outside.  
"Hey you okay? You've been chatting an awfully long time."  
"Yeah..." Ichigo said absently, as he watched Kisuke walk down the street. He took one last sweep of the horizon, and then went in himself, closing the door behind him. Amber plopped down in front of the TV, engrossing herself in another anime show. Alicia stood up and marched over to the orangette, grabbing his arm and pulling him into the kitchen.  
"I know there is something you aren't telling me. What's going on here?" She hissed and glared at him.  
"Nothing." Ichi couldn't look his friend in the eyes. He felt bad lying, but what else was he supposed to do? The chorus of an ending song could be heard from the TV speakers, and Amber stretched.  
"Well, I'm running to the convenience store to grab a container of milk, so I don't go thirsty in the morning." She grabbed her wallet and jacket. Ichi took this excuse to get away from Alicia.  
"Hey, you're not going anywhere." Ichi glared at Amber, coming back into the living room. Amber glared back.  
"Who says?"  
"I says, that's who." Ichigo went over and locked the door. Amber stamped her foot and crossed her arms.  
"I'm just going around the corner! You can see the store from my window. It's not like someone is going to try and murder me or something. And I like milk first thing in the morning." She put her hands on her hips defiantly. Ichi stomped over to Amber. He bent down to face level.  
"It's not safe at night. Besides, you can live without milk for one night." He said sarcastically.  
Amber glared back. "Well you see, the thing is I can't. A normal person in America without coffee is what I'm like without milk in the morning. Secondly, who gave your permission to lock MY door? It is my apartment after all." Amber stuck out her tongue and darted to the door.  
"She has a point with the door thing." Alicia interjected, watching the fiasco before her with a smirk. "Hey, I said you can't leave! It's too dangerous!" Ichi sprung after Amber. He caught her around the waist, lifting her into the air. Amber flayed her arms and legs.  
"Hey! Let go of me!" She had to think quickly! Her life was on the line! She needed her milk! She was a monster without it! What would happen if she went into her Spirit form? She smirked to herself.  
"Okay! Okay! Fine! You win!" she was set back down. She gave an indignant huff and stormed into her room.  
"I'll be right back guys."  
Amber casually went up to her room and closed the door. She silently locked it.  
"Time to get my milk!" She whispered. She ran to her window and opened it. Under the window was a flight of escape stairs. She lowered herself onto the first wrung and climbed down. She had to hurry. It wouldn't be too long before Alicia and Ichigo would notice something was wrong. She wasn't normally a trouble maker, but how can getting a gallon of milk be dangerous? If anything, she'll just fall and scrape her hand.  
"Everything is getting so weird here. I miss home." She whispered longingly as she hurried on her way.

Ichigo collapsed on the couch with a huff. He rubbed his temples wearily. Today had been too long. Now with the threat of a new and more dangerous Hollow species on the loose, he had a feeling things were only going to get longer. Alicia sat next to him. Her eyes narrowed as she looked at him. Ichi glanced to his side.  
"What? Why're you looking at me like that?"  
"There's something you're not telling me. What did that Mr. Hat'n Clogs say to you?" Alicia, was persistent.  
"Hat'n what? Ugh never mind. He just said some things about the new hollow..." Ichigo trailed off. Alicia waited for him to continue. He sighed.  
"Look its nothing you don't already know." Again, he wouldn't look into her eyes. Alicia noted this.  
"I still don't believe you, carrot top. I know there's something else. You're a pretty sucky liar." Ichigo growled. He was getting annoyed with her.  
"Look, if it's something you need to know in the future, then I'll tell you. Otherwise, you'll just have to wait." Alicia, on the other hand, wasn't going to take no for an answer. She turned around, and practically tackled him; she straddled his lap, grabbed the front of his shirt, and got in his face. Ichi didn't have time to react. He soon found himself pinned to the couch with a hot tempered red head mere inches from his face.  
"Hey, hey! What gives, get off me!" He protested, struggling under her. But Alicia wouldn't let go.  
"Listen you! I know you're hiding something about this Hollow!" Alicia's face was turning red. Ichi closed his eyes, trying to pry Alicia's hands off his shirt.  
"You sure have one hell of a grip for girl, you know?" Suddenly, Ichi felt a white hot stinging sensation on his left cheek, he was momentarily blinded, and he vaguely registered falling sideways. He found himself sprawled on the couch and heard the angry footsteps of Alicia making their way upstairs to Amber's room. Alicia knocked steadily. "Amber, you okay? You've been in there a while." She waited. No reply came. She knocked a little harder.  
"Okay enough with the jokes. I know you're mad, but you should come back out. I have to go home soon." Still no answer came. Exasperated, Alicia opened the door. A cold breeze hit her in the face. She scanned the dark room and saw the open window. Her eyes grew wide in fear.  
"Oh no." She croaked. She ran to the window and called out.  
"AMBER!" Without waiting for a reply, she raced back down stairs. She skidded to the kitchen where Ichi was applying a pack of ice to his cheek.  
"Amber's gone!" She yelled. Ichigo whirled around.  
"What?! What do me she's gone!"  
"Just what I mean! I went into her room and her window was open. She's nowhere in sight!"  
They both ran out the door and skipped down the stairs.  
"Where's the nearest convenience store? She said it was close by here isn't it?" Alicia asked in a panic. "Yeah it's right there." Ichigo pointed to a brightly lit store front. The pair took off at a sprint. As they drew closer to the store, they could see Amber through the window. She had her milk and a candy bar in hand. She was walking to the counter.  
"Man! She is so finished when I get through with her." Alicia huffed. "She acts like a little kid at the worst times!"

In the store, Amber was getting ready to check out. She pulled out her wallet.  
"How much will that be?" she asked.  
"50 yen" said the cashier. Amber paid and got ready to leave. Just as she turned from the counter, the lights above suddenly began to flicker, then stopped.  
"Huh," said the cashier, "Need to get the wires checked." He closed the register. Amber shook it off and made for the door. The lights began to flicker again. This time, they wouldn't stop. Amber suddenly felt cold. She now wished she had stayed in her apartment. She trotted to the door, but stopped again. The air in front of it began to distort and change, like something was breaking through a space warp. Amber backed away as the distortion grew in size. She tripped over her feet and fell backward, dropping her bag and breaking the quart of milk in the process. The apparition before her stopped several feet away and began to take shape. It grew taller in size, reaching 7 and a half feet. Huge ram-like horns appeared on either side of its head. The head and face itself took on an ape-like appearance. A pair of four sharp fangs jutted from its lips. Its eyes were large and deep set. Two white hot points of light shone from them like flashlights. From behind it, a tail emerged, coiling and wrapping itself around its cloven hooved feet. Its legs, as well as its arms were thick and muscled. Its heavy hands had only three thick, claw-like fingers. The monster was covered from head to hoof in hard scales that glinted and sparkled in the now half-light of the store. It wore a flowing garment of a color Amber couldn't as yet make out, but it too, like its scales, shimmered. The beast sneered at her. It leaned over and whispered in a chilling voice.  
"Hello there, remember me?"


End file.
